Igneous
by iminlaundry
Summary: Korra has spent three long years in hiding acting as the avatar in secret after the Red Lotus' second attempt on her life. A series of bizarre fluctuations between the spirit and material worlds causes her to step back into the spotlight as the avatar, and she reconnects with old friends and people she never thought she'd see again.
1. Chapter 1

**Ch. Summary:**

* * *

><p>Epilogue: Korra and Mako reconnect with a ghost from their past<p>

**Notes:**

This was inspired mostly by my thoughts of what if the red lotus was more far-reaching, and had more influence? If so Korra would probably not be able to let her guard down anywhere, not knowing who could be a member of the organization after her life.

**Epilogue**

She was frozen still, her heart pounding blood through her body like water flowing through a broken dam.

The night air was cold and her wet clothes were heavy like lead.

She wiped her wet bangs out of her face, desperately trying to see clearly through the dark and rain. There was a full moon that night; an eclipse, that was blocked by heavy clouds that seemed not to move.

She thought briefly of firebending her own light but dismissed that thought entirely – it was way too big of a risk.

Mako stood by her side like a sentinel; still and focused, radiating tense energy. As per usual he had a cool head during crisis but she knew him too well to be fooled into thinking he was calm.

If anything he was as just as agitated as she was, and she was infinitely grateful for his composure... she felt fear and nausea swelling inside her reaching dangerous heights, and his demeanor was helping keep her anchored.

"Who are you?" she yelled over the sounds of rain hitting pavement. "We don't know why you're keeping us here. You need to let us go before anything you regret happens."

The hooded man turned slightly to face her, or at least her direction, and laughed.

"Anything _I_ regret?"

Mako shot her a look, a keep-your-mouth-shut-for-both-our-sakes look, and she knew it was in her best interest to stay quiet and unnoticed but she felt ready to explode.

If it turned into a fight it turned into a fight – the energy swirling inside her was making her sick.

"I mean that -"

Mako abruptly grabbed her hand and squeezed. He whispered something to her she couldn't hear over the rain but she knew full well was a warning.

"Silent now? Well I'll let you know why I've brought you all here and see if you can't save me some precious time."

The small crowd around Korra and Mako surged with murmurs of anticipation and fear. That did bring Korra back down a bit – she was so worked up she'd almost forgotten anyone else was there.

And truthfully it didn't matter, because as far as the situation was concerned it really was only her and the hooded man standing far up the hill.

Everyone else was a bystander, and she'd seen firsthand what happened to bystanders who ventured too close to her.

"You see, me and my associates are looking for someone who we believe is here now, among you. Well, I shouldn't say we _believe_. We know full well due to our sources the avatar is here, somewhere in this crowd."

Korra's heart plummeted to her stomach and she gripped Mako's hand firmly for balance.

She knew that voice, she knew who he was, and she had the feeling if he got a good look at her face he would recognize her, no matter how much she may have changed her appearance.

"What are you talking about? The avatar is a Water Tribe girl. We're all Earth Kingdom citizens!" A frightened voice called out from the crowd.

"Living in the Earth Kingdom means nothing. We know she relocated to Ba Sing Se three years ago, and we know she has ties to a family living in the apartment block we pulled you from. And we know how to make her reveal herself."

The sound of rain and frightened murmurs in the crowd blended into ambient noise in Korra's ears.

She felt like she was hovering somewhere distant away from her body, and the sensation of Mako's hand around hers was all but unnoticeable.

_Three years wasted..._

The hooded man raised his arms to silence the crowd, then gestured to someone behind him who was concealed in the darkness.

There was the unmistakable sound of a car door opening, and the nervous tension in the crowd rose to a fever pitch.

"Don't be alarmed; I'm not going to do anything to harm any of you. And I'm going to take this opportunity now to say this : if the avatar steps forward now we can stop all of this. I promise not to harm the avatar, only take her into custody. I won't make this offer again."

Korra's head was spinning.

_Should I turn myself in? He said he wasn't going to harm anyone so he must have some kind of leverage._

She couldn't imagine what it could be – she knew for a fact her parents were safe in the south pole, and

she knew that her extended family in Zaofu were safe as she'd spoken to Suyin and Tenzin personally only hours ago.

Mako's family was visiting Bolin in the North Pole for his movie premiere so they were definitely out of harm's way unless her captor had the means to travel from Ba Sing Se to the North Pole in record breaking time.

She was pulled back to reality by Mako, who leaned down discreetly enough to speak quietly to her.

_"He must be planning to use a hostage to bait you. Do nothing, Korra. You have to keep your cool here, alright?"_

She nodded, keeping her face downcast in case the hooded man caught a glimpse of her (it was unlikely in the darkness but it was better not to take chances).

"Nothing? Alright, I gave you the chance. Bring the girl."

Korra could hear fumbling, and then the sounds of feet hitting the pavement, presumably someone stepping out of the open car.

The footsteps came closer and Korra could see the silhouette of a man stepping towards them, carrying what was clearly an unconscious body.

_"Keep your cool. Your cover can't be blown here."_

The man who approached them stopped a few feet in front of the crowd and let the body hit the ground with a hard, wet thud that made Korra sick to her stomach.

Who was it?

She was racking her mind but no possibilities came up.

After the incident three years ago she became very sure to keep tabs on her loved ones and everyone in her mind was coming up safe.

Maybe it was a bluff.

"As I stated before when you were brought here and removed your blindfolds, you are to remain quiet. If you scream for attention you'll be ended, and swiftly. Keep silent and you're safe."

As sudden as anything, the car headlights were turned on and it was blinding.

The crowd gasped and recoiled, covering their eyes in distress.

Mako recovered the fastest, and Korra heard him exclaim loudly in anger and surprise; his hand firmly gripping hers.

"Korra!"

Squinting through the rain with her eyes still adjusting to the bright headlights glaring in her face, Korra focused on the body on the wet ground, which was beginning to stir and groan in pain.

She could tell it was a woman, but she couldn't see well enough to decipher who it was...long hair, pale skin -

Her stomach flipped hideously in her stomach as realization dawned on Korra like a monstrous wave.

There was a ghost laying in front of her – someone who by no rights should even be alive but Korra could see now clear as day.

The years had changed her, surely, but Korra could never forget a face she thought about almost every waking moment of her life for the past three years.

She carried the guilt of what happened with her for so long she'd recognize this particular ghost no matter what.

She didn't know how it was possible but Asami Sato was laying on the ground only feet away from her...alive, not dead.

In the span of seconds Asami had gone from a painful memory of Korra's past and her own foolish mistake to a living, breathing woman she could see with her own eyes.

The rush of emotions was indescribable – there was of course the happiness and disbelief that Asami was alive and within reach – but also the very sharp boiling rage of seeing her condition.

Metal bands were clamped firmly around her wrists, ankles and mouth, and she was clearly in pain.

In pain, but alive.

Asami's eyes fluttered and narrowed, adjusting to the high beams and scanning the crowd for faces...and once her eyes locked with Korra's the expression that came over her face was enough to make Korra cry.

Asami yelled something which was muffled by the rain and the metal band around her mouth as tears ran down her face almost instantly.

With a sudden deft movement, the hooded man metalbent the bands, causing Asami to be lifted up in the air, dripping rainwater and mud.

"Step forward now avatar, or else we'll kill your friend here in front of you!"

He removed the band from her mouth to her throat hard enough to make Asami's face contort in pain and shock.

Korra panicked, looking to Mako with her vision blurred by tears.

She saw from his face he was just as panicked as she was, and that was all the push she needed.

In that moment there was nothing left to do and he knew it too.

Korra metalbent the bands away from Asami and cushioned her fall with a blast of air and Mako yelled for the crowd to run.

The air blew the hoods off of the two men flanking Asami, and she saw he earlier suspicion was true.

Korra didn't recognize the man who had pulled Asami out of the car, but she recognized the man who tried to choke Asami as if she'd seen him only yesterday despite the fact that it had been almost three years.

It was none other than Aiwei, looking severely angry and disgruntled.

He caught her gaze as soon as his hood flew off and at once his look of anger turned into what Korra could only describe as glee.

"She's there! Ignore the rest and grab her!"

The crowd ran screaming as the second hooded man shot two blasts of fire at Korra, who dodged it easily, never taking her eyes off Asami.

She was choking and sputtering as she shakily got on her feet.

Before Korra got the chance to yell to Mako he was already on the move, rushing towards the hooded firebender sending volley after volley after of fire.

"Asami get down! Stay low!"

Aiwei's partner was good but he was no match for Mako – within seconds he easily drove him back towards the car. It was foolish but for a moment Korra thought it would all work out – it was two on two and so far she and Mako weren't doing poorly at all.

Korra made to rush for Asami and was stopped by Aiwei attempting to hurl one of the metal bands over her wrists.

She dodged and slipped in the mud but managed to keep her footing.

She lunged at Aiwei, readying a blast of fire.

She had something three years in the making to gift him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch. summary**

After Korra manages to escape the compound again, her parents and guardians have to decide if keeping her hidden away from the world is the right thing to do.

**Notes**

Sorry this chapter took so long, I realized after finishing the first draft of this story that I either have to cut content or rearrange everything for longer chapters, so i went ahead and just did that. It's looking like this is going to be a lot longer than I originally planned. Just a heads up this fic is going to be fairly non-linear but I'm aiming to make it 100% cohesive

**Chapter one**

Ren sat cradling his injured shoulder underneath the northeastern watchtower, watching the avatar ride off on the back of her wretched polar bear dog. He cursed under his breath at the way she laughed and hollered like she didn't have a care in the world… again.

This was the _second time _so far in a month.

Tonraq wasn't going to be happy about this.

Up above him he could hear faint, muffled laughter that broke out into full blown howling.

"Ren! You should have seen the look on your face! She really got the jump on you –"

"If you have time to sit there and laugh you have time to send after her! This isn't a damn joke!"

"_You're _a joke. We have three patrols north of here, did you forget that? No way is she getting far even on the back of that animal. You should head back to base and get your shoulder healed, man. It looks pretty bad."

"I'm a waterbender I can take care of it myself!"

He said this but Ren knew this gouge was a bit out of his skill set to take care of on his own. Groaning, he moved to stand and braced his good shoulder against the watchtower.

He'd have to see if Senna would heal this… it'd be a perfect opportunity to show her what that daughter of hers was capable of when she wanted to run off and anyone tried to stop her.

There were limits- _he had limits _and getting knocked off his feet by a wild animal while working a double shift was the last straw. Scowling, he set off toward the main building of the compound, a miserable near twenty minute walk through the snow and wind.

He wouldn't mind the travel so much (as a waterbender making his way through snowy terrain wasn't an issue) but waterbending along the snow with a mangled shoulder wasn't ideal. The further he walked the more his resolve steeled – yes, there was a limit, and any reasonable person would've met it years ago.

_I can't do this anymore._

Upon reaching the center of the compound he was both relieved and a bit nervous to see Tonraq's snowmobile was still present; he was supposed to have left by now, but as always news of his daughter's escape had most likely prolonged his stay.

Taking a steadying breath Ren stepped into the main building, grimacing at his fellow Lotus members eyeing his shoulder, keeping an eye out for Senna or Tonraq.

Soon enough he caught sight of Tenzin's sister Kya leaning up against a wall not too far from the main conference room, arms folded and gaze downcast.

Seeing Kya was a breath of fresh air – they did get along well, and she shared the same sentiment as many of the White Lotus guards regarding the avatar's…. living arrangements.

That and she was a pretty top-notch healer.

Before he had the chance to call out to her she glanced up and caught his eye, doing a bit of a double take once she noticed his shoulder.

"Ren? What on Earth happened?"

She ushered him over to her, opening the seal pouch of water she kept secured around her waist in preparation for his wound.

"It's been a while, good to see you."

"Good to see you too, but your arm? What is this?"

"Surprise courtesy of that damn polar bear dog" he said, wincing slightly at the feeling of her hand shrouded in icy water as it smoothed over his wound.

"I caught her sneaking around outside the compound border – how she got there I don't know but there she was all the same. I tried to get her to get back inside the compound but – ow! Kya!"

"You can deal. So what, she attacked you? This wound is deep, this had to be ice…."

"More like polar bear dog claws. That Aga, or whatever she named it sideswiped me while I was distracted. I don't know why they're letting her keep that thing in the compound; I knew it was only a matter of time before someone got hurt."

Kya patted his shoulder sympathetically, guiding the water back into her sealskin.

"Well it was either that or have her keep sneaking out to go play with – what was it – Naga."

_"__She still sneaks out anyway!"_

"I know tough guy. You'll have to endure it."

He thought of telling her his reasons for seeking out Tonraq but decided against it. Even though she shared his opinion on the matter he didn't think it would be wise to stir the pot too much.

"Hey, is your brother visiting too? Or did you come alone…?"

Kya's demeanor changed abruptly as she crossed her arms again, looking deeply annoyed.

"Oh he's here alright. Tenzin _and _Bumi are visiting; why do you think I'm standing out here? I can't deal with their bickering right now."

He didn't ask for an explanation – it wasn't often Bumi took time away from his job to visit the avatar at the compound, and if his last visit was any precursor Ren had a fairly steady idea of what was going on.

"Thanks for my shoulder, Kya. I have some things to discuss with Tonraq and Senna."

Kya rolled her eyes as if to say _gee I wonder what that could be _as he stepped into the conference room, steeling his nerves once more.

The room wasn't full to capacity but it certainly wasn't empty. Nearly a dozen other White Lotus guards stood along the edges of the room, with Tenzin, Bumi, Tonraq and Senna sitting at the circular table in the center.

Tenzin and Tonraq looked up at him immediately, wearing a near identical look of weariness and frustration.

He might've swallowed his resolve if not for his shredded shirt sleeve reminding him what he was here for in the first place.

Before he had the chance to even open his mouth to speak Tonraq cut him to the chase by asking if he was the main guard on duty when Korra had last ran off.

"Yes sir, I was" Ren responded, shifting his weight back on his heels in preparation for the inquisition he was undoubtedly about to sit through.

"Alright, well what happened? This is the second time in a month our daughter has managed to run off while she's supposed to be being guarded by the best White Lotus members around who were _hand chosen _for this job! I need some answers here."

"I can understand your sentiments sir – protecting the avatar is of the utmost importance but you don't understand, every day that goes by she gets worse –"

"No you _don't _understand because if you _did_ these things wouldn't be happening on a regular basis!"

Ren was expecting Tonraq to be upset about this but all the same he did cut an intimidating figure. He couldn't help but blanch a bit under his icy gaze.

Senna put her hand on her husband's forearm, giving him a stern look. "Tonraq, let him speak. You wanted to know what happened – we all do. We won't know if you turn this into a conflict."

Bumi mumbled something indistinguishable as Tonraq furrowed his brow and leaned back in his chair, still looking straight at Ren.

"Alright. Alright. I'm sorry about that. It's just that the thought of the avatar – my only child – running off and possibly being kidnapped again cuts a little too close for comfort."

Senna rubbed his shoulder and Tonraq sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his hair (by the looks of him he'd been doing that quite a bit lately).

"Just let us know exactly what happened so we can figure out how to stop this from happening again."

Ren felt himself relax as the tension in the room faded to at least a manageable level.

"In all due respect, sir, I don't think there is any way to stop this from happening again. I caught her messing around a few meters outside of the compound and she distracted me before that animal of hers knocked me off my feet. Then she ran off. Like she's done numerous times before. The only thing that would've made this situation different is if we kept that animal off the premises –"

"Out of the question" Tonraq responded immediately. "She's too attached to it now for us to just take it away. I promised her."

This wasn't surprising; Ren had expected Tonraq would feel that way (even though he wasn't the one who'd nearly had his head lobbed off).

"Okay….well that aside, I have no suggestions. My fellow White Lotus members and I have been complaining for _years_ now about this situation. It's not getting any better. You can expand the compound by as many kilometers as you want but the world's not getting any bigger for her. The longer she stays cooped up here the worse she becomes. She's getting uncontrollable."

He felt a surge of confidence at the general murmur of agreement from his comrades standing along the wall and Bumi's rather exaggerated hat-tipping gesture.

Tonraq, though, didn't seem to share the feeling.

"….I'm sorry Ren, but what are you implying? What do you suggest we do? You know there are still active Red Lotus members searching for her; what better option do we have than keeping her here safe?"

"I'm not implying or suggesting anything sir. I'm saying I can't do this anymore. I want a transfer."

The room really did get quiet then. Bumi sat with his chin in his palm, wearing a look of mock surprise as Tenzin balked and stood immediately.

"A transfer? Transfer where?"

"Prison guard. Last I heard three men were cut from Zaheer's facility; I could fill in for them –"

"Absolutely not! Men were cut because they weren't needed – if you remember they were sent _here_ to guard the avatar. Which is a much more important duty than sending Zaheer his meals every day."

Ren gritted his teeth a bit at Tenzin's rather aggressive stance on the matter. No wonder Kya was staying out of it.

"Tenzin, sir, I understand your intentions but I didn't become a member of the White Lotus to become a glorified babysitter to a lonely, high-strung child. I've wanted this job my whole life but now that it comes down to it I'm left with a bad taste in my mouth. This is a waste of my talents and quite frankly not the best situation for the avatar. If I can't transfer then I'm leaving the organization. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way."

Tonraq's expression was wild – Senna gripped his arm tightly as he looked on at Ren with a look he'd rather not have been on the receiving end of.

_Okay, ride it out, you were expecting this…._

"You think I don't know this isn't the best situation for my daughter?" he asked, curling and uncurling his fist in frustration, "you think I don't come here to see her and notice how she feels? _I do_ but as her father I have no other choice! We've all seen the lengths the Red Lotus are willing to go to – we've seen the damage done and all the lives lost…"

He trailed off at this, glancing at his wife who wore a fairly unreadable expression. Ren wasn't quite sure of the details as he hadn't been present at the time the Red Lotus managed to kidnap the avatar six years ago, but he did know quite a few casualties were taken – namely Katara's brother and many members of Senna's family.

Clearly that wound was still fresh.

"Alright. Listen. I'd rather not have anyone leave the White Lotus; if it comes down to you transferring or quitting, I'd rather have you transfer."

Ren's spirits lifted at this (he couldn't help but notice Tenzin's rather off-put expression as he moved to sit again) but before he had the chance to thank Tonraq for his consideration Bumi cleared his throat loudly and spoke up.

"Eh… I know it might not be my place and all, but as Aang's son I have just as much desire to see Korra safe."

Tenzin huffed and rubbed his temples but Tonraq and Senna remained quiet.

"I do sympathize with you and your wife – I really do. I know you just want to keep Korra safe, we all do. But just how long are you planning to keep her here?"

Tenzin shot his brother a particularly harsh glance he either didn't notice or didn't care to react to. Ren had the feeling Bumi was on the receiving end of those kind of glances from his brother pretty often.

"Look, what I'm saying is that I'm a busy guy. I don't get the chance to come visit the kiddo as much as I'd like, but darn near _every time_ I do it's this situation. She's run off, or someone managed to stop her from running off, or people are out in this freezing tundra looking for her. How much longer can this go on?"

The aura of discomfort in the room grew tenfold (mostly around Tenzin, who looked as miffed as Ren had ever seen him) as Bumi carried on.

Ren noticed his fellow White Lotus members nodding in agreement and murmuring amongst themselves. Bumi had hit the nail on the head with this one.

"She's only what, ten years old and already the White Lotus is stretched thin with her. If she's hard to wrangle now just wait till she masters airbending; it'll be practically impossible to keep her here."

Tenzin's eyes narrowed and opened his mouth to speak before Bumi cut him off, raising his hand for silence.

"No, Tenzin, you need to listen to this. She's only _ten_, she's a _kid_ and she's pretty much running the scene here. What about when her powers are fully realized? Are you all going to be able to keep a fully powered avatar under wraps here? Not only that but it's not good for the world to not have its avatar. Just look at the chaos caused when dad was frozen for a century."

At this Tenzin shifted from being visibly irritated to outright anger.

"Bumi, avatar Aang's situation and Korra's are two completely separate things, you know that! The way you carry on about how the world needs its avatar as if that's not something we all know! We went into this situation six years ago prepared for whatever might happen. No matter what you say _this is a matter of her life and death!_ Korra must stay here!"

"Oh yeah, Tenzin? Well how long do you suggest she be kept here? Five more years? Ten years?"

"Until _she's ready!"_

"Well if you have any say in it she'll never be ready!"

"Bumi you need to keep your personal bias against me out of this discussion!"

"Well there it is, that's your problem! You think this is about you but it's not; it's about that kid!"

Ren was relieved to see he wasn't the only one who didn't exactly want to sit through this decidedly personal argument – Tonraq sat silently watching them with his eyebrows raised while several of the White Lotus members behind him looked like they'd rather like to edge out of the room.

Thank the spirits Senna put an end to it before things went even further south than they already were; the two brothers were clearly not in any hurry to end things.

"_Excuse me_ you two! I'm sorry but that's enough; this night has been stressful enough without having to listen to you two fight here. Please."

They both simmered at once, leaning back in their chairs with near identical expressions of frustration.

"Can you all please let us four continue this alone please?" Senna asked the White Lotus guards, most of whom were visibly uncomfortable with their prolonged presence in the room.

Unsurprisingly none of them had any issue with it; as soon as the words came out of her mouth they were already politely nodding at Tonraq as they set to leave.

"Ren, I'll get back to you about your transfer later tonight. Will you be in the barracks?" Tonraq asked, wearily running his hand through his hair once more.

"Yes sir I'll be there."

Tonraq gave Ren a slight nod before he left the room. He was glad to reduce the room to just him and his wife (and Bumi and Tenzin); he couldn't help but feel like a bad father in front of the White Lotus guards whenever Korra made another one of her escapes.

After Korra was relocated to live in the compound Senna dropped everything to move with her, which was an opportunity Tonraq couldn't afford to indulge in. To be honest he was taking a security risk any time he traveled to the compound to visit his daughter – thanks to Unalaq it was common knowledge among the Red Lotus that the avatar was the daughter of Tonraq and Senna of the Southern Water Tribe. Senna was able to leave with Korra under the guise that she was convalescing somewhere private after the deaths of her family members and her daughter's kidnapping, but as the chief of the Southern Water Tribe Tonraq was too much in the public eye to simply disappear and leave his people without a leader.

He had to make due with a handful of visits every year, always making sure to not make a habit of visiting on the same days and draw any attention, always setting out in the night under the guise of a seal hunt and returning in the dead of night days later.

A few days every year was never enough. He was happy his daughter was safe, but in his heart there were times he resented the fact that he had to be so far from her and Senna.

"Senna, Tonraq, I… apologize for the outburst earlier" Tenzin said, tugging slightly at his beard. "It's been a rough few weeks with the acolytes, and truth be told I am genuinely worried for your daughter's safety."

Bumi muttered a similar apology, though Tonraq felt that he wasn't particularly sorry for yelling at his brother.

"It's fine, really" Senna said, "Tenzin, I understand your stance on the situation and I truly do appreciate all your cooperation so far with Korra. It means a lot to this family."

Tenzin smiled considerably at this, bowing his head slightly.

"I understand your stance, but I have to say I agree wholeheartedly with Bumi."

Tenzin's smile cracked slightly and Bumi sputtered a bit, looking from Senna to Tonraq.

"Seriously? You agree with me over Mr. Spiritual here?"

Tonraq assumed by his tone that Bumi was attempting to lift the mood with a bit of humor but Tonraq was quite surprised by his wife's statement. After all, she was the strongest advocate for hiding Korra away after the kidnapping and the deaths of her father and brothers.

It dawned on him quickly how his not knowing such an important opinion of his wife's was truly a testament to how little time he'd been able to spend with her.

He tried not to doubt his choices but as time passed….

"I agree with what you said, Bumi, because out of everyone here in this room I'm the one who's spent the most time with Korra. I've seen her growing up these past six years and you're right about the fact that she is getting out of control. She's been cooped up here with no one her age to play with aside from her cousins every few years. She's surrounded by adults who see being here as a job. She's getting more and more frustrated and has gotten to the point where her tantrums are becoming harmful. I don't like seeing Korra like this."

Tonraq wrapped his arms around Senna as she finished, taking a deep breath to steady herself. She finished by saying that something needed to change, although she wasn't sure of any plausible solution.

Neither could he. It's not like he'd never entertained the idea of moving Korra off the compound and bringing her home – which was of course too dangerous. The issue was keeping Korra somewhere where they were sure there was no one to recognize her and tip off the Red Lotus to her whereabouts. He couldn't think of anywhere other than the secluded South Pole.

After a few moments, when Tonraq was ready to put this all to an end and go see his daughter before he had to leave for the night, Bumi spoke up suddenly.

"What about Zaofu?"

At first Tonraq thought Bumi must have been just throwing an idea on the table for a sake of it, but Tenzin was surprisingly quick to agree with him.

"Zaofu is a rather large city, but within a rather secluded location. It doesn't get as many people coming and going as Republic City or Ba Sing Se, but its size and influence alone make it a rather unlikely place to hide the avatar. Hiding in plain sight, really."

"Yeah! The kid won't be as alone as she is here, I mean there have to be other kids running around Zaofu somewhere. And this is Su's city we're talking about here – safest city in the world – she's never had any security infractions to date. That I know of anyway."

Senna looked up at Tonraq with an expression he didn't have to guess at. She wanted to make this work.

"Hold on you two" he interrupted, not wanting to get swept away in this too soon, "I have to admit I am more in favor of Korra not being so cut off from society as she is here but there's a pretty big hole in this plan. Namely, we don't know if there are any Red Lotus members in Zaofu. There have been dozens weeded out of the Fire Nation royal palace staff in the past few years so to say Zaofu is completely clean isn't realistic."

Senna's face fell slightly as Tenzin agreed with him that the only place they could be sure was out of reach for the Red Lotus was here on the compound. Tonraq hated to shoot the idea down but every angle had to be observed.

"Hold on, hold on, we can still make this work!" Bumi said, leaning forward over the table. "Look, you're right that nowhere is going to be as secure as this place but Zaofu is the best compromise. I know Suyin would be more than happy to have Korra there, and I definitely know she wouldn't have any issues in adding extra security for her sake. Why don't we have the guards here, or most of them anyway, relocate to Zaofu undercover? They can still do their jobs while not having to be stuck in this pit – no offense – and Korra can have a bit more fun and not have to be aware of the fact that she's being stared at by a bunch of adults all day. There are only a handful of us who have even seen Korra after her kidnapping so there's no way anyone would be able to look at her and know it's the avatar as long as she doesn't bend more than one element. This could really work!"

Tenzin agreed, and Tonraq didn't even have to look down at Senna to know what she thought of the idea.

_At this point Korra is going to run away from here and we won't be able to find her_, he thought to himself as he passed his hand slowly over his tired face.

_That or she's going to grow up to resent me and Senna for keeping her here for so long, even though we're only doing what we have to…._

His mind was racing and his palms were sweaty but his heart knew what to do. Even if she was the avatar, and even though she had to be cautious he wanted his daughter to have the fullest life she could.

The decision was made.

Tonraq would stay for another day to help with the preparations. First thing in the morning Senna and Tenzin were going to contact Suyin and ask if she was on board with making Zaofu Korra's new hideout. It was a large responsibility but when it came down to it Tonraq shared Bumi's opinion that Suyin would be more than happy to comply.

While Tenzin and Bumi left with Senna to gather the White Lotus guards and relay the news Tonraq set out to find Korra, who'd been sent off to her room (with extra security) after being caught.

Once he reached her door and knocked asking if he could come in to see her he received no response. He didn't bother to wait for one; he knew she'd be too upset to bother speaking.

"It's me, Korra. Dad."

Stepping into the room he glanced around for Korra only to see Naga asleep towards the far end of the room with her side facing the balcony, which had both doors open to let the cold air in.

Two or so years ago Korra had been moved to a larger bedroom - the largest on the compound – when it became clear that she and the polar bear dog she'd taken a shine to were not splitting up any time soon. Her new room was on the third floor of the compound with a balcony some of the earthbenders added on themselves.

At first neither Senna nor Tonraq were too keen on having a balcony in her room when she was so eager to escape the compound but they managed to compromise by adding extra security on the ground below.

"Korra? Are you in here –?"

"I'm over here dad."

Her voice came from towards the balcony, and he rightly assumed she was sitting with her back to Naga's side in front of the open doors as she so often did.

"Hi Korra" he said as he approached her and sat cross-legged not too far from her. Her eyes were red from crying and it killed him to see that.

"Looks like I'm gonna end up staying an extra night tonight."

"I know. The only time you stay longer is when I try to run away."

Despite being the bearer of good news the matter-of-fact way she spoke stung him.

"Korra, about that –"

"If you're here to tell me to apologize to that guy Naga scratched I'm not going to. I told him no matter what I was going. It's not like I was gonna run off forever or anything, I was gonna come back! Why's it always my fault that I hate it here?"

"Korra, that's not –"

"Only person I have to play with is Naga, and I can't even play with her outside this place! I hate it here!"

Tonraq waited to see if she would continue but she fell quiet, breathing heavily with her arms crossed, staring straight ahead outside. He wasn't surprised by the outburst – he was well aware of the fact that she wanted him to stay longer and to visit more and he tried to be clear on why he couldn't…. but that didn't soothe her hurt feelings.

"I know you hate it here Korra, really I do. We all do. That's why I have some good news to tell you."

Her eyes flickered a bit but she held her face in a stern pout, not even glancing in his direction.

"There's never good news here."

"There is now" he said as he moved to sit beside her with his back to Naga's warm flank.

"We have some things to arrange, and if that works out you're not going to have to stay here anymore. Your mother and I have been thinking and we decided Lin's sister's city Zaofu is a better place for you. It's a real city and everything, and we think it's going to be safe enough for you."

Her reaction was everything he would've expected. She was jumping and yelling with joy, jolting Naga awake and no doubt putting some of the guards on edge. She was a bit disbelieving, asking him again and again if he was being serious.

He let her know there were conditions; mainly that she could never tell anyone she was the avatar and she could never bend any elements beyond water when anyone could see her. She seemed a bit putt off by the latter, but was so overcome with happiness it looked like she'd brushed it off fine enough.

He was glad to see her happy but didn't like the thought that this was the happiest he'd seen her in far too long. She jumped into his arms and looked like she was ready to cry again as he held her tight, worried for her future but hoping for her to be in a happier place.

"You should apologize to Ren, though, Korra. He was badly hurt."

"I know. I _am_ sorry. I'll apologize to him for Naga too tomorrow."

Tonraq smiled and squeezed her closer, knowing he couldn't keep her safe forever, and bitterly wishing she was just his ten year old daughter and not the avatar.

_I hope we all came to the right decision…._


End file.
